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Celebrating 100!

When I started this blog just under a year ago (I published my first post on August 15 2013) I set myself the goal of writing two posts a week. I am pleased that I have maintained that output, with only an occasional variance.

I thank you all, my readers, whether you have been with me from the beginning, joined in along the way, or pop in occasionally to see what I am up to. I really appreciate your support and encouragement. If it wasn’t for your interest I may not have achieved my goal.

One of the most rewarding things about blogging is belonging to a very special online community of readers and bloggers from whom I have learned a lot, and from whose encouragement I have developed the confidence to share my ideas.

Celebrating 100 anything is a milestone.

In Australia if you live to celebrate your 100th birthday you can receive a letter from the Prime Minister, the Governor-General and the Queen.

In my year one classroom we would celebrate 100 days of school. In the ‘old’ days, when pre-school was part-time and not compulsory, before prep became the first year of formal schooling, year one was the first year of ‘real’ school, and the celebration really was of the first 100 days of school. After the advent of prep it simply became a celebration of the first 100 days of year one.

Many valuable learning opportunities accompany the celebration.

Preparation for the celebration would begin on the first day of school. We would count off each day on the number board, counting up the days we had been at school and how many more days there would be until we reached 100.

Closer to the day we would explore what 100 items ‘looked like’ and count 100 children lined up for class, a tower built of 100 blocks, or 100 paperclips arranged around the edge of a piece of paper. We would count and collage 100 different items, and play games that involved counting to 100.

One of the things that I enjoyed most was discussing with the children what they thought they would be like at 100 years of age. We would read A. A. Milne’s poem Now I am Sixand talk about them being six or seven – what they looked like, things they could do, and their favourite things and activities. They would draw a self-portrait and write a description of themselves to accompany it.

Then we would read books about growing older and discuss what it might be like to be 100 years old. They would do a self-portrait to show what they thought they would look like and write about what they would be able to do and activities they would enjoy.

I wish I had some of their portraits and descriptions to share with you. They wrote about having grey hair, wrinkly skin and wearing glasses. They wrote about using walking sticks, living in nursing homes and having a lot of grandchildren. Overwhelmingly, they were happy.

The last group of year one children I taught were born this century. They turned seven in year one in 2011. They will not celebrate their 100th birthdays until 2105! Chances are, with improvements to health and the increasing length of life expectancy, many of these children will get to celebrate that milestone.

While the children had no difficulty imagining themselves as 100 years of age, I can’t imagine what life will be like for them in the next century; or even fifty years ahead. One hundred posts ago, I couldn’t even be sure if I would still be here writing this blog; but I am, and I thank you very much for reading and participating.

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24 thoughts on “Celebrating 100!”

Congrat’s, Norah! I love reading your blog. I love your ideas and your thoughts and, as I’ve said before, I would have loved to have been a student in your class. I wish all teachers were as passionate about teaching as you are!! Keep on bloggin’!

I still crack up when I hear kids describing their teachers as “old” – and then discovering they’re in their twenties. I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective! I can’t even imagine myself at fifty, let alone a hundred, so it sounds as if your young students are still way ahead of me 🙂 Congratulations on your hundredth post – the ones that I’ve read have all been great.

Age is a funny thing isn’t it? The older you get the younger you realise you are! I’m pleased you can’t imagine yourself at fifty. I can’t remember myself at fifty!!!!! Thank you Lori. I always appreciate the way you engage with my posts. 🙂

Congratulations Norah. Well done.I agree with the others – how different life may have been had we had you as our teacher. Looking forward to celebrating your next 100 posts with you also. Cheers Irene

Well done; all milestones need to be recognised and applauded. I’m with Anne wondering if my early schooling would have been more fun if you’d been around but then I expect you wouldn’t have been tolerated back in the 1960s. Far too radical. Keep on blogging

Thanks Geoff! I wasn’t old enough to be teaching in the 60s!!!! But I certainly had fun teaching in the 80s. It became more structured after that, but I always sought ways of putting the children first in my day, and made sure there were ample doses of fun (for them and me) throughout the day. Learning is much easier when one is happy and has some sense of control, so choice to some degree was always important – also for them and me! Thanks for joining me on my journey. I look forward to reading your comments as much as to reading your blog. 🙂

Congratulations, Norah, I’ve loved following your blog from perhaps around the 50 mark. I’m always impressed with how you express your passion for education in so many different ways and still make it interesting and relevant for people like me reading from outside the profession. I loved your ideas about enabling children to think about ageing. I think you’re the ideal teacher I never had!
Look forward to sharing the journey to 200.

Hi Anne. Thank you for your ongoing encouragement. It has played an important role in my blogging journey. It is often recommended that writers write with one or two readers in mind. You are one that I think of, so I am grateful knowing that you have been able to read and enjoy from your position outside the profession. I think our shared interest in people, psychology (more your field), development and the human response to the world serves to link our interests. I always feel flattered when people say they wish I had been their teacher (dare I say, I’m not that old!) but always fear I might be selling myself a bit long, if I can make up that comparison. I have always been, and always will be passionate about education, and would dearly love to have been the teacher you think I was! I look forward to sharing our discussions as we both continue our writing and blogging journeys. Thanks for being there! 🙂

Well done. 100 posts and still posting. I have very much enjoyed finding your blog, and your tweets, and to have found someone who seems to share many of my interests, if not all my views, across the world. The pleasure of the www.
I was interested in your observations about the children thinking about ageing. My current project (with co-authors) is a book on ageing. Which we all do from the start of life, of course.
Looking forward to the pleasures of the next 100!
Caroline

Caroline, thank you for your comment. I really appreciate your support and interest. It is great to be able to exchange views with others from across the globe and I have always appreciated what you share, both in the comments on my blog and in your own posts. It so true that we are all ageing from the moment of birth – or before, as you hint.
I have received my copy of your book and am looking forward to reading It. Looks to be jammed packed with lots of sensible advice and suggestions.